This project sits within the School of Sport and Physical Activity and the wider Advance Wellbeing Research Centre – a vibrant environment where researchers work at the intersection of health, human measurement, digital innovation and applied science.

APPLICATION DEADLINE 18th May 2026.

Why This Research Matters?

Childhood obesity and related health conditions remain one of the most pressing public health challenges of our time. Yet, the way we assess children’s size and growth has barely evolved in decades.

Traditional measures such as BMI are widely used, but they do not capture differences in body shape, fat distribution, or proportionality – factors increasingly recognised as crucial for understanding health risk more accurately. Children with the same BMI can have very different body shapes and, subsequently, very different health trajectories. This PhD seeks to change that.

By exploring how body shape phenotypes – not just size – relate to health outcomes, this research has the potential to:

• Improve early identification of children at risk
• Inform better screening tools in healthcare and schools
• Support targeted interventions
• Enhance growth monitoring guidelines
• Shape future national and international standards

Ultimately, this is a project with the capacity to change lives, ensuring children receive fairer, more accurate, and more personalised assessments of wellbeing.

What will the PhD Will Explore?

As the doctoral researcher, you will investigate:

• How child body shape and proportionality differ across populations
• The relationship between body shape phenotypes and indicators of health risk
• How new technologies (such as 3D body scanning and digital anthropometry) can enhance child growth assessment
• Whether combining traditional measurements with shape‑based phenotypes improves the prediction of future health.

Who Should Apply?

This studentship is ideal for applicants with backgrounds in: Public health, Health sciences, Sports and exercise science, Nutrition, Psychology, Biomedical sciences, Data science, Physiology or related fields. 

We welcome applicants who are passionate about improving child health, curious about the drivers of health inequality, and eager to develop strong research expertise in anthropometry, measurement science, and applied health methods.

Full details, including eligibility, project description and application process, can be found here: https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/transforming-lives-phd-scholarship-sheffield-hallam-university-child-body-shape-phenotypes-and-health-risk-prediction/?p194832

APPLICATION DEADLINE 18th May 2026.

If you’re motivated to improve child health, passionate about high‑quality measurement, and excited by the chance to work on a project that genuinely makes a difference, we’d love to hear from you – so please get in contact.